America's Surprising Six-Figure Jobs

To marketing majors everywhere: There's a six-figure job waiting for you at the casino.

Jeff Walker, 47, who graduated from college in 1983 with a marketing degree, is a gaming manager at Mohegan Sun, the Connecticut-based casino and resort. Walker has been with the company 12 years.

His career in gaming started in 1983 when he applied for a marketing job at The Sands in Atlantic City, N.J., when he graduated from the State University of New York's Geneseo campus.

Gaming manager is one of America's surprising six-figure jobs, as compiled by Forbes.com based on the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics salary data.

The top 10% of gaming managers, whose primary responsibilities are overseeing staff and catering to gamblers, earn $106,220 a year, while the average annual salary is $69,600. Nevada, home of Las Vegas, arguably the world's most attractive spot to gamblers, is the top-paying state for this occupation.

Walker said job seekers considering a position in gaming should expect to work at two to three casinos before nestling into a six-figure spot.

"You have to move and sacrifice," he said.

Other jobs on the list include teachers at the post-secondary level, flight attendants and air traffic controllers.

Post-secondary education teachers can earn an annual salary in the average range of $35,996-$116,247. The average annual salary of the top-paying teaching positions on the Bureau of Labor Statistics list is $73,345.

Post-secondary economics teachers claimed the highest annual salary, with the top 10% earning $135,380.

Air traffic controllers rank No. 1 on this list with the top 10% earning $141,860 a year.

Perched in a tower overlooking the airport, the air traffic controller regulates and controls commercial airline flights to ensure flight safety. The average annual salary is $107,780, while the median annual salary is $112,930. Illinois is the highest-paying state for this occupation. O'Hare International Airport, based in Chicago, Ill., is one of the busiest airports in the world.

Maybe your six-figure opportunity isn't in the tower. Try looking to the skies. The top 10% of flight attendants earn an annual salary of $102,660, while the average annual salary is $62,880. Corporate positions will pay the most, though they're hard to get--at least harder than some of the other surprises on this list.